It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
